TL-46-877 Update 1
May 18th, Birthright Day 1 & 2: History, Views, and Reconnection
We arrived in Israel Monday evening and started our adventure early Tuesday morning with our Israeli breakfast at the hotel. There were so many options – delicious cheeses, fruits, vegetables, cereals, bourekas – and even desserts! After some time learning about our upcoming days, we headed to Tzfat.
We spent the day in Tzfat learning about Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. We met an artist who shared more about his techniques and the meanings and connections of his artwork with Kabbalah and Judaism. For lunch, we had our first taste of Israeli shawarma and falafel, and ran into a lot of our friends from other UF buses. Before some time to shop and walk around Tzfat a little, we welcomed our Israeli participants to the group and spent some time getting to know everyone.
Our second day began with an amazing breakfast and building friendships with our new Israeli soldier friends. After we were full with quiche and pancakes our fearless leaders Yuval, Stefani, and Gadi funneled us into the bus to begin our next full day of adventures.
Driving out of Haifa we made our first stop at the Bahai Gardens overlooking the city and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. On our way to the garden Gadi shared the history of the spot and the Baha Ullah whose grave site sits below the hill decorated with date palms, perfectly groomed shrubs, and vibrant red flowers. After pictures and pondering the breathtaking view, we were off to Tel Dan for a nature hike where Gadi would walk us through the same spots where our Jewish ancestors walked thousands of years ago and where some of the history and the stories of Torah were forged.
Entering the nature trail we were immediately greeted by the soft sound of running water and the sweet smell of the abundant figs trees. We approached an ancient ruin which was likely a replica of sorts of the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. Next we sat at an overlook where we could see the border with Lebanon and we learned about some of the modern conflicts with Israel’s neighboring countries. Finally we passed the ancient entrance to the city of Dan. The religious and historical significance of the trail paired with the area’s beauty left us all in amazement, and ready to cool off in the Jordan river.
After a short bus ride we made our way to the Jordan River, we gathered into rafts for a mostly calm (and sometimes mildly treacherous) ride. After some splashing with each other and a few bump-ins with the riverbed’s branches we were all ready to chill.
On our way to dinner in Tiberias, we learned about the historical significance of the area, and more about the modern region. Dinner was great and the view of the sea and surrounding mountains, as the setting sun turned the sky ambient shades of orange and blue, was even better. The gator colors in the sky was a poetic ending to an epic day where we fostered relationships with our fellow UF Jews and our new Israeli friends.
Chris Kechriotis, UF Hillel Bus 877 Participant
